Electronic commerce using the World Wide Web (Web) is exploding in growth. Many Web sites have been developed through which Web service providers may advertise and offer a variety of products for sale. As electronic commerce becomes popular, increasing numbers of vendors are offering a variety of products and services on the Web. Among these vendors are software vendors, known as application service providers (ASPs), who provide software for sale or rental over the Web.
Software products being offered by an ASP are typically displayed at the purchaser's client computer. The display may include a description of each software program and a price for the software. As the purchaser sends a request to purchase software programs to the ASP server, the server must interact with the client system to confirm the purchases and the payment method. When the ASP server accepts the purchase order and the payment method, the ASP server will download the software product electronically to the purchaser's client computer. To prevent unauthorized use of the software product, each software product is typically protected by encryption, usually referred to as a software lock (or key).
Upon successful completion of the purchase transaction, the ASP will download a decrypted version of the software or an authorization code which will “unlock” the software for the purchaser if the software being purchased is already installed on the purchaser's client computer. The latter situation may exist if the rental period of the software product has expired and the purchaser wishes to extend its use.
Since some software products are relatively expensive or use of a particular software product may become obsolete after a period or number of uses by a purchaser, the purchaser may want to rent the software product instead of purchasing it outright. Thus, the software may be rented for use for a certain period of time or for a certain number of uses. For example, it may be preferable to rent computer games rather than purchase them, since computer games often lose their interest and appeal after repeated playing. Additionally, a purchaser may wish to rent the use of a software program that is used only occasionally, such as a language translator or document clean-up or editing software. The rental of software thus provides users a relatively inexpensive and economic method to use software.
When a user finds that he is using a piece of rented software repeatedly, it may be desirable to extend the rental period, or to convert rented software to permanent use. An ASP may, therefore, offer users the ability to purchase additional uses of a software product, extend the rental period of a software product, or convert rented software to permanent use. These operations are typically achieved by sending the user new authorization codes or keys that enable the software to continue operation until the new number of uses or time period has expired. By providing only a new authorization code or key, the ASP avoids having to re-download the software to the user's computer.
As the use of an ASP becomes more popular, the interaction between purchaser client computers and ASP servers will become much more frequent. Therefore, it will be desirable for ASPs to provide their purchasers the convenience of minimizing the requirement for interaction between a client computer and the ASP server in order to complete the purchasing or rental transaction, as the case may be. It would also be desirable for ASPs to minimize or limit the frequency of asking the purchaser to transmit the user's private, sensitive information, such as credit card information. Although the purchaser's credit card number is encrypted during the transmission, it will be highly desirable to minimize its exposure through the Web.
Additionally, some software rentals may have a very low cost. For example, renting a single page use of a translation package may cost less than the typical fees associated with processing credit card transactions. Such “micropayment” transactions, sometimes amounting to only fractions of a cent, may also occur in the context of providing access to media, or Web-based services, such as search engines. In each of these cases, it is necessary to provide a way for users to pay for such transactions without incurring the overhead of a credit card charge.
Similar demands are present for vendors of products and services other than software. While there may be many consumers on the Web interested in purchasing or renting a wide variety of products and services, many of these consumers are either unwilling to take the risk of using their credit card over the Internet, or do not possess a credit card that may be used to make purchases on the Web. Additionally, some products and services available over the Web are small enough in cost that they do not justify the overhead of handling credit card transactions.
To address these concerns, various forms of electronic currency have been developed and marketed by numerous companies. For example, ecash Technologies Incorporated, of Bothell, Wash., offers a product called “eCash”, which relies on encryption and digital signature technology to permit selected “eCash” banks to issue “eCash” currency to users, which may be spent on the Web sites of vendors who will accept this “eCash”. These vendors may then exchange the “eCash” for traditional money through an “eCash” bank. The use of “eCash” permits micropayments, and permits users to purchase products and services on the Web without using a credit card.
The “eCash” system, and other similar systems, eliminate the need to use a credit card for each on-line transaction, and permit micropayments. Such systems require that users and merchants make arrangements with authorized banks, and require both the user and the merchant to convert between real currency and electronic currency through an authorized bank.
Another system is provided by RocketCash Corporation, of Mountain View, Calif. The RocketCash system sets up accounts for teens who do not have credit cards, and permits their parents to add money to the accounts using checks, money orders, or credit cards. A teen may then shop on the Web, and have the purchases billed to his or her RocketCash account. This eliminates the need for credit cards, but does not address micropayments. Additionally, it is still necessary to establish and fund an account with a single central entity (i.e. RocketCash Corporation) before goods may be purchased.
InternetCash Corporation, of New York, N.Y., offers a similar product, called InternetCash™, based on pre-paid card that is purchased in predetermined denominations from a store, and may be used at selected on-line merchants. The InternetCash™ system can handle transactions smaller than will be processed by most credit cards, and provides a means to anonymously purchase items on the Internet, without using a credit card. Like other previously known electronic currency systems, InternetCash™ requires merchants to obtain payment from a central organization.
Another electronic currency, called “Beenz”, is provided by Beenz.com, Inc., of New York, N.Y. The “beenz” system permits registered users to earn “beenz” currency as an incentive for visiting particular Web sites, shopping on-line at particular Web sites, and other on-line activity. The currency “earned” by these activities may be spent at selected Web vendors. This system, while it does not use a credit card, and may be used for micropayments, is not well suited to more general use, as there is no way to purchase the “beenz” currency. Additionally, as in the other examples cited above, vendors must rely on a single organization to receive payment in real money.
Numerous patents on electronic currency have been issued. Among these are U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,207, to Turk et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,364, to Turk, which discuss electronic currency systems based on gold or some other commodity held at a central location. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,595, to Ohta et al., describes cryptographic techniques that may be used by a bank to issue electronic cash. Like the other systems described hereinabove, the methods described in these patents use central organizations, such as banks, to manage user accounts and to handle transactions.
Such systems necessarily impose overhead, in that both the vendors who accept these various forms of electronic currency, and the users who buy items in exchange for electronic currency must deal with a central organization, such as a bank. Additionally, since the central organization controls the issuance of the electronic currency, the vendors who accept the electronic currency have no control over the value of the electronic currency, its sale price, the terms on which it may be bought, or to whom the electronic currency is sold. For example, it is not possible using such systems for a vendor of products or services to agree with his customer on payment terms for electronic currency that will be used to purchase goods, since the customer must pay a bank or other third-party organization for the electronic currency.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods that permit a variety of payment options, such as credit card purchases, checks, money orders, or purchase orders to be used to purchase electronic currency or tokens.
It would also be desirable to provide electronic currency or tokens that may be issued and used with minimal overhead, and that do not require on-line communication with a bank or other organization to issue or use the tokens.
It would further be desirable to provide apparatus and methods that give a vendor complete control over the sale and distribution of electronic currency or tokens that may be used to purchase products and services from that vendor.